Every vegan is aware that his or
her lifestyle is regarded by many as extreme, alternative, or even stoical
or unhealthy. But how is it that those of us seeking to end the suffering
and exploitation of animals represent such a great diversity of backgrounds,
careers, and socioeconomic standing? It doesn't take a radical view of
the world to come to the realization that the vegan lifestyle is compassionate,
reasonable, environmentally conscious, and nutritionally favorable; it
only requires a conscientious examination of the facts by a mainstream
mind.

The production of meat, eggs, and
dairy products may evoke images of a traditional, idyllic farm setting,
where animals are treated humanely while alive. This impression is certainly
the one these industries wish consumers to maintain. But in the latter
half of the 20th century, increasing demand for animal products and agricultural
interests in production efficiency led to the decline of traditional farming
and the rise of intensive factory farms, the source of the vast
majority of animal foods consumed by Americans today. Such "farms"
are high production, largely-mechanized indoor settings, where animals
are heavily crowded and routinely treated in an inhumane manner. While
overcrowding, unanesthetized mutilations, excessive drug usage, and repeated
artificial impregnation are everyday practices of factory farming, it
is important to point out that even traditional (and free-range) farming
has never been humane. In fact, the stresses of transportation alone are
so extreme that animals commonly die en route to slaughter. Furthermore,
the transport and slaughter of all animals associated with food production,
including dairy cows and egg-laying hens at relatively young ages, ensures
that animal suffering is an unavoidable consequence of the human consumption
of animal products.

In addition to creating serious
animal welfare problems, factory farming is detrimental to the environment
due to the disposal of waste associated with raising nearly 10 billion
animals each year in the U.S. alone. In fact, according to Senator Harkin's
recent study, this industry is a primary polluter of rivers and streams
and is contributing to the contamination of our drinking water. Further
environmental problems due to this type of agriculture include an increased
consumption of the Earth's fossil fuel reserves, and an over-farming of
grains for animal feed: According to Worldwatch Institute, 70% of all
grains grown in the US are fed directly to farm animals, unnecessarily
adding enormous levels of pesticides, herbicides, and petrochemical fertilizers
to the Earth year after year, and consuming more fresh water than any
other human endeavor.

Numerous nutritional authorities,
including the American Dietetic Association (ADA), accept veganism as
a healthful alternative to meat and dairy-based diets. The surprisingly
common notion that veganism is somehow nutritionally inferior is utterly
inconsistent with scientific nutritional and health research. Furthermore,
the fairly recent explosion of soy- and grain-based substitutes for nearly
all animal products has made the switch to a vegan diet more palatable
than ever.

Of course, the animals we subject
to the meat, egg, and dairy industries are not fundamentally different
than those we consider our companions, and although the vast majority
of Americans hold that it is wrong to cause animals unnecessary pain and
suffering, all but a fraction of a percent continue to support such mistreatment
by purchasing meat, eggs, and/or dairy products. In light of the inhumane,
unnecessary production of animal products, eliminating them from our lifestyles
is not an extreme position, but a rational one which follows simply from
currently held ethics.